The present invention relates to optical connectors for printed circuit cards or boards permitting the connection of such a card or board to an optical fibre connecting cable.
It is known to place printed circuit cards in metal boxes or cases. These cards are plugged in by their edges to the front open surface of such a box and are then guided and held in place by rails fixed to the sidewalls of the box and are plugged into multiple connectors fixed to the rear surface thereof.
In addition, connectors for interconnecting two optical cables are known and connectors of this type are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,260 of the THOMSON-CSF Company.
It is desirable to utilise the advantages of a rapid connect and disconnect, small volume and immunity to interference from the optical connections in apparatus having printed circuit cards both for interconnecting said cards and for connecting them to optical cables to which said apparatus is connected.